The idea that something has no boundaries is enticing. An open-ended formula or equation in mathematics implies discovery or exploration, which is a heady and exciting stuff. However, the infinite path, like many things in life, always ends in a wall of finite details.
When most of us think of unlimited data, we envision never having to worry about our data usage ever again. However, the reality is that unlimited mobile data plans aren't truly unlimited and can be deceiving.
While we live in a digital world, where people depend on the internet for a myriad of things from using the web, to interacting with friends and family through social media platforms, to video chatting and much more, it’s important for all users to be aware of usage policies and practices when it comes to unlimited data plans.
Understanding the limit in unlimited plans
When service providers offer an “unlimited” plan, technically, you will have access to an overload of data, even if the speed may be restricted. What they don’t say is there is a fair-limit usage threshold, which when exceeded, will lead to a drag on the internet speed. .
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Every internet service provider that offers unlimited data has a Fair Usage Policy (FUP). Broadband providers use the Fair Usage Policy to ensure that all subscribers use mobile data sparingly and have the best internet experience possible. It is a way of monitoring and controlling bandwidth capacity to ensure all users have equal access.
It is worthy of note that Streaming high-quality content for an extended period, sending or receiving extremely large data files, and other online activities may violate the Fair Usage Policy.
While these plans allow you to access as much data as you want, there is also a certain threshold that different providers have set for their customers. If this threshold is crossed, the service provider can legally throttle back or decelerate your connection, or worse still, cut it off completely.
Throttling is the slowing down of typically available bandwidth used by devices to connect to the internet. Simply, throttling means limiting how fast you can access something when online.
In the end, unlimited data isn’t really unlimited. You may want to look into the details of the plan before signing up as most internet service providers impose a few limits as mentioned above. Though you may experience this limit at some point, keep in mind that it will only be enforced when you exceed the fair usage limit.
